e men, who were eager to be led against the
enemy. The usual precautions on entering hostile territories were now
taken, the Cavalry being ordered to sharpen their sabres, and the
Infantry served with sixty rounds of ball cartridge.

Before we took our departure from Bominacote, a melancholy circumstance
occurred, which threw a temporary gloom over us. As the men were sitting
down to dinner the report of a pistol was heard in the officers' lines.
Suspecting some accident I ran to the spot, accompanied by two of my
comrades, and discovered Lieutenant Fyers, one of the officers of my own
regiment, lying dead in his tent, with a freshly discharged pistol in
his right hand. The unfortunate gentleman had placed the muzzle of it to
his mouth, and the ball, taking a slanting direction, had passed out
over the left ear. For several days previous he had been observed to
labour under great depression of spirits, but no immediate cause could
be assigned for the fatal act. His loss was generally lamented, for he
was both a good officer and an estimable member of society.

Our route lay through a country barren in the extreme, scarcely a
vestige of vegetation being any where to be met with. Of the natives we
saw or heard nothing, for as we advanced they fell back, deserting the
villages and betaking themselves to their mountain fastnesses. It being
now near Christmas the men suffered some inconvenience from the sudden
transitions of temperature, the days being sultry and the nights
extremely cold. The consequence was that the dysentery broke out
amongst us, and several fatal cases occurred.

At the close of the third days' march reports became current through the
camp that we should soon see the enemy. It was said that a force of ten
thousand horse and foot was about to take the field against us, and
Captain Outram was despatched towards Hyderabad, to ascertain the truth
of the story. He brought back information that the enemy were ensconced
within the walls of that town, and appeared to have little disposition
to leave them. We now began to find the difference between quarters and
camp, for the General thought it necessary to send out frequent
reconnoitering parties and pickets, in order to guard against surprise.

Early on the morning of the fifth day, we arrived at Tattah, a place of
considerable antiquity, and, I believe, mentioned in Holy Writ. The
Indus formerly washed the walls of this town, but owing to some natural
or ar